Defining Databricks Tables

Tab	Property	Description	Additional Information
	Physical Name	Specifies the physical name of the table
	Database	Specifies the database to which the table belongs
	If Not Exists	Specifies that if the table already exists, no exception is thrown, and no action happens
	Use Replace Syntax	Specifies whether the REPLACE syntax is used	Selecting this option replaces the syntax with the new DDL that is generated during Forward Engineering.
	Physical Only	Specifies whether the table appears in a physical model only
	Generate	Specifies whether a DDL statement is generated for the table during forward engineering
General	Physical Name	Specifies the physical name of the table
Location	Specifies the directory path where the table data is stored Specifies the path of an external table when a delta table is cloned	Entering a location makes the table an external table.
Table Properties	Specifies a list of key-value pairs used to tag the table definition	For example, CREATE TABLE `default`.`test` (`c` INT) USING text TBLPROPERTIES ( 'transient_lastDdlTime' = '1586269021'); This creates a table with the following table properties: 'transient_lastDdlTime' = '1586269021'.
Using	Specifies the file format for the table	For example, TEXT.
Options	Specifies the table options to optimize table behavior	You can enter key-value pairs to define options for the table.
Version as	Specifies the version of a Delta table	This option is part of temporal specification and references a Delta table using its version.
Timestamp As	Specifies a timestamp of a Delta table	This option is part of temporal specification and references a Delta table at the specified point in time.
Like Table	Specifies the table from which the table definition and metadata is copied
Clone Table	Specifies the source delta table that is cloned
Clone Type	Specifies the clone type	Shallow: Indicates that Databricks copies the source table definition and does not copy data Deep: Indicates that Databricks makes a complete, independent copy of the source table
Storage	Fields Terminated By	Specifies a character that defines column separator	For example, comma ' , '.
Fields Escaped By	Specifies an escape mechanism
Collection Items Terminated By	Specifies a character that defines collection item separator	For example, underscore ' _ '.
Map Keys Terminated By	Specifies a character to define a map key separator	For example, colon ' : '.
Lines Terminated By	Specifies a row separator character	For example, new line ' \n '.
Null Defined As	Specifies a value for NULL	For example, ' foonull'.
Serde Handler Class	Specifies a fully qualified class of a custom SerDe	Default classes are available when Stored As is set to ORC, AVRO, or PARQUET. This option is blank if native SerDe is used.
Stored As	Specifies the file format for the table
Input Format	Specifies the input format for the table	Default formats are available when Stored As is set to TEXTFILE, SEQUENCE FILE, ORC, PARQUET, AVRO, or RCFILE.
Output Format	Specifies the output format of the table
Stored By	Specifies a non-native table format using a storage handler	For example, org.apache.hadoop.hive.hbase.HBaseStorageHandler
Serde Properties	Specifies a list of key-value pairs used to define SerDe properties
Bucketing and Partition	Bucket Columns	Specifies the columns based on which partitions on the table are converted into fixed buckets	These columns are specified using the CLUSTERED BY clause in the Create Table statement. This clause is not supported by Delta Lake.
Bucket Sorted Columns	Specifies the order in which data is stored in buckets	This order is specified using the SORTED BY clause in the Create Table statement. This clause is not supported by Delta Lake.
Bucket Option	Specifies the number of buckets into which each partition is divided
Name	Specifies the name of the partition
Partition Specification	Specifies the partition specification
Location	Specifies the location of the partition

Physical Name

Specifies the physical name of the table

Database

Specifies the database to which the table belongs

If Not Exists

Specifies that if the table already exists, no exception is thrown, and no action happens

Use Replace Syntax

Specifies whether the REPLACE syntax is used

Selecting this option replaces the syntax with the new DDL that is generated during Forward Engineering.

Physical Only

Specifies whether the table appears in a physical model only

Generate

Specifies whether a DDL statement is generated for the table during forward engineering

General

Physical Name

Specifies the physical name of the table

Location

Specifies the directory path where the table data is stored

Specifies the path of an external table when a delta table is cloned

Entering a location makes the table an external table.

Table Properties

Specifies a list of key-value pairs used to tag the table definition

For example, CREATE TABLE `default`.`test` (`c` INT) USING text TBLPROPERTIES ( 'transient_lastDdlTime' = '1586269021');

This creates a table with the following table properties: 'transient_lastDdlTime' = '1586269021'.

Using

Specifies the file format for the table

For example, TEXT.

Options

Specifies the table options to optimize table behavior

You can enter key-value pairs to define options for the table.

Version as

Specifies the version of a Delta table

This option is part of temporal specification and references a Delta table using its version.

Timestamp As

Specifies a timestamp of a Delta table

This option is part of temporal specification and references a Delta table at the specified point in time.

Like Table

Specifies the table from which the table definition and metadata is copied

Clone Table

Specifies the source delta table that is cloned

Clone Type

Specifies the clone type

Shallow: Indicates that Databricks copies the source table definition and does not copy data

Deep: Indicates that Databricks makes a complete, independent copy of the source table

Storage

Fields Terminated By

Specifies a character that defines column separator

For example, comma ' , '.

Fields Escaped By

Specifies an escape mechanism

Collection Items Terminated By

Specifies a character that defines collection item separator

For example, underscore ' _ '.

Map Keys Terminated By

Specifies a character to define a map key separator

For example, colon ' : '.

Lines Terminated By

Specifies a row separator character

For example, new line ' \n '.

Null Defined As

Specifies a value for NULL

For example, ' foonull'.

Serde Handler Class

Specifies a fully qualified class of a custom SerDe

Default classes are available when Stored As is set to ORC, AVRO, or PARQUET.

This option is blank if native SerDe is used.

Stored As

Specifies the file format for the table

Input Format

Specifies the input format for the table

Default formats are available when Stored As is set to TEXTFILE, SEQUENCE FILE, ORC, PARQUET, AVRO, or RCFILE.

Output Format

Specifies the output format of the table

Stored By

Specifies a non-native table format using a storage handler

For example, org.apache.hadoop.hive.hbase.HBaseStorageHandler

Serde Properties

Specifies a list of key-value pairs used to define SerDe properties

Bucketing and Partition

Bucket Columns

Specifies the columns based on which partitions on the table are converted into fixed buckets

These columns are specified using the CLUSTERED BY clause in the Create Table statement. This clause is not supported by Delta Lake.

Bucket Sorted Columns

Specifies the order in which data is stored in buckets

This order is specified using the SORTED BY clause in the Create Table statement. This clause is not supported by Delta Lake.

Bucket Option

Specifies the number of buckets into which each partition is divided

Name

Specifies the name of the partition

Partition Specification

Specifies the partition specification

Location

Specifies the location of the partition